Composing a Melody!

Terminology!

n  Texture" n  Phrase"

•  Monophony" •  Antecedent"
•  Polyphony" •  Consequent"
•  Homophony"
n  Period"
n  Contour"
•  Conjunct (e.g., scalar)" n  Cadence"
•  Disjunct (e.g., chordal)"
n  Climax"

n  Accent" n  Balance"

•  Dynamic"
•  Agogic" n  Unity vs. Variety"
•  Tonic"
•  Metric" n  Text setting"
•  Syllabic"
•  Melismatic"
n  Range "

n  Tessitura" n  Word painting"

 Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner!

Conjunct motion"

Disjunct motion"

Contour"

Range"

Tessitura"
 Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner!

Period"
Phrase 1 (antecedent)" Phrase 2 (consequent)"

Harmonic "
implications:" I
V
I
V
I

Cadence" Cadence"
(imperfect authentic/" (perfect authentic)"
half-cadence)" augmentation"
variation"
Rhythmic motive:"
 Anatomy of a Melody"

The Star Spangled Banner!

Metric accents"
Dynamic accents"
Agogic accents"
Tonic accents"
New Melodic Resources!
Various types of nontonal scales: modes, synthetic, and non-Western scales"

From David Cope, Techniques of the

Contemporary Composer, p. 27."
Impressionism/Exoticism—Influences!

Balinese gamelan and 


African drummers."

Precedents:"
n  Paris Exposition (1889) "
n  Chicago World Fair (1892)"
Impressionism/Exoticism!

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)"

Impressionism/Exoticism!

Maurice Ravel 
 Igor Stravinsky 


(1875-1937)" (1882-1971)"
Folk Music!

Béla Bartók (1883-1945)


recording and transcribing folk
songs of Hungarian peasants."
Folk Music—Characteristics!

n  Unusual phrase lengths (not restricted to 2, 4, 8, etc.)"

n  Metric variety: frequent use of mixed and additive meters"

n  Temporal fluidity: use of irregular rhythmic subdivisions and tempo changes."

n  Modal rather than tonal melodies; not bound to the tyrannical rule of the
major and minor keys (Bartók)."

n  Not restricted by equal temperament: use of microtonal pitch inflections and
scales based on natural tuning systems."

n  Free from the expressive pretensions of 19th-century art music."

Folk tune transcribed by Béla Bartók."

Irregular phrases"
Flexible tempo"
Irregular rhythmic subdivisions"
Microtonal pitch inflection"
 Diatonic Modes!
White note version:! Mode name:! Starting on C:!

Ionian



Dorian



Phrygian



Lydian



Mixolydian



Aeolian



Locrian"
 Diatonic Modes!
Lydian:"
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)"

Phrygian:"
Ralph Vaughn Williams: Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (1910)"
 Pentatonic Scales!

The most familiar variety of pentatonic scale is the anhemitonic (I.e., without
semitones); it may be easily realized by playing on the black keys of the piano."

Derivation from diatonic scale:"

 Pentatonic Scales!
Anhemitonic variety:"
Claude Debussy: Nuages from Nocturnes (1899)"

Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F (1903)"

 Pentatonic Scales!
Other varieties:"
Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (1913)"

P4"
m2"
Claude Debussy: String Quartet (1893)"

m2" M3"
Claude Debussy: Pagodes from Estampes (1903) "
Maurice Ravel: Ma mère l oye (1908)— Laideronnette "
 Whole-Tone Scale!

Claude Debussy: Canope from Preludes Book II (1913)"

Claude Debussy: Voiles from Preludes, Book I (1910) "
Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "
Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "
Béla Bartók: Mikrokosmos No. 136— Whole-Tone Scales "
 Octatonic Scale!
Two versions:"
Major (whole-half) "
A

Minor (half-whole)"
B

Three transpositions:"

1!

2!

3!
 Octatonic Scale!
Structure:"
Four overlapping [013] pitch cells "

Two nested diminished 7th chords "

Igor Stravinsky: Octet (1922)"

Béla Bartók:

Mikrokosmos No. 99

Crossed Hands "

Octatonic pentachord 1 (RH):"

Octatonic pentachord 2 (LH):"

These two octatonic pentachords

combine to form a single octatonic
collection."
 Olivier Messiaen s Modes of Limited Transposition"

Mode 1: 6 pitches, 2 transpositions" Mode 2: 8 pitches, 3 transpositions"

"( whole tone )" "( octatonic )"

2 !2 !2 !2 !2 !2 ! 1 !2 !1 !2 !1 !2 !1 !2 !!

Mode 3: 9 pitches, 4 transpositions" Mode 4: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions"

2 !1 !1 !2 !1 !1 !2 !1 !1! 1 !1 !3 !1 !1 !3 !1 !1 !
Mode 5: 6 pitches, 6 transpositions" Mode 6: 8 pitches, 6 transpositions"

1 !4 !1 !1 !4 !1 ! 2 !2 !1 !1 !2 !2 !1 !1 !!
Mode 7: 10 pitches, 6 transpositions"

1 !1 !1 !2 !1 !1 !1 !1 !2 !1!

From David Cope, Techniques of the

Contemporary Composer, p. 27."